What's this
Who: Hattie, T'rev, Inigo, Rhodya, Kiah, Carys, and Mecaith (!)
When: Evening (?) on day 27, month 12, turn 18 of Interval 10.
Where: Living Cavern and Bowl, Fort Weyr
What: Inigo's found a mysterious, lost love letter tucked away in the guest weyr, and Rhodya seizes the chance to wax romantic about its origins. Later that night, she gets searched.
"You and your Mecaith can appear out of nowhere on a day to day basis, so I think we'll call it even," Hattie decides, smirking a little. "I can't decide whether I think Fort Sea must be more worried about actually ending up clothes-less or are more interested in the marks they might make with all that fabric when people get desperate. Either way, it doesn't matter much, it's just sharding irritating." A caverns-worker who scrambles out of the way of being poked by any number of things in that huge bag bumps into Hattie, who leans round them to call, "Excuse me? You mind being careful with that?" to the bag's owner.
"Good point, though at least you totally expect every dragon to be able to do it, not /every/ headwoman is that talented, right?" T'rev says with further humor then makes another face. "Bah. I just hope that none of my good stuff wears out before there's stock to use to replace it with. I grew up wearin' rough stuff and I sure don't miss that none. I /like/ cotton n' sisal." The bronzerider's eyes lift as the little bag incident takes place and his brows lift a little. "Busy night ..."
Inigo should probably chew first before swallowing, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Inbetween bites his eyes are scanning the room for dark haired ladies. He sees one in a red frock, too old. Then another, but she's too fair. His eyes finally fall on an attractive brunette, in conversation with a familiar handsome face, T'rev comes to mind. Food has been forgotten as he rises to go see his companion is the woman he's been looking for...
"If they were all that brilliant, none of us would stand out," Hattie says, a smug smile only just hidden by the dip of her lips to her glass. "You really think that if they can't trust Fort Sea, they'll use Ruatha River instead?" she questions. "I think I'm going to start hiding my clothes in-case people decide that they need to start nabbing each others'..." Her voice trails off and she blinks as she catches someone staring at her, someone moving closer. "...Can I help you?" she asks, almost imperiously.
"There you go," T'rev says to Hattie with another little smile and his shoulders lift. "Makes more sense than tryin' to go all that way on them roads up from Gar, don't it?" he points out. "Ain't quite so far from Ruatha River as it is up from Gar. Could drop there and then well, riders could do transport duty." His brows flare upward at that remark. "Well that'd take all, wouldn't it?" Then he's looking in the same direction as Hattie, curiously.
Two sets of eyes turn towards Inigo. He looks down feeling a little flush suddenly. While walking, he reaches for the object that has lead him here. The box. As he reaches the two, he reaches out his arms to show them the red item. "You must be Hattie, I've got something to show you."
Rhodya comes in from the bowl, stifling a yawn behind her hand. Despite her general sluggishness, her gaze moves quickly enough around the room, alighting on the familiar form of T'rev and heading that way. Oh, but she's interrupted some kind of - gift - presentation - thing. She hangs back a bit, in sight but saying nothing, to watch.
"Yes, but-" 'but I'm not there to sort it all out' is the more than obvious sentiment behind those words, Hattie's eyes gone a bit wide and staring. She blinks a couple of times, still processing, and looks away from T'rev and suddenly back to Inigo again. "That'd be me," she confirms. "Something I can help with?" isn't quite so sharp this time and she eyes the box.
T'rev's curiousity only seems to increase as Inigo speaks, but he just takes a little half step back a half-grin sent Hattie's way for that abortive sentence. As he gives Inigo that little bit of space, the bronzerider catches sight of Rhodya and his smile waxes bright in her direction. T'rev edges over thattaway just a bit, leans down to offer over a companionable, "Heya," to the leatherworker.
Feeling a little intimidated by this group of strangers, still Inigo moves closer, box protecting him from being to close. A hey is given to the man he believes to be T'rev. And then back to Hattie, "I found this the other day. Was told you may know something about Fort's history" He slowly unlatches the box and reveals its contents, a faded letter covering the contents. "Do I have the right woman?"
Noticed, Rhodya welcomes T'rev to her out-of-the-way observer's space with a friendly smile and a welcoming pat on the shoulder. "Hey there," she murmurs, keeping her voice down lest she interrupt Inigo's presentation. "Any idea what that's all about?" She tugs her chin at said presentation; just because she's loathe to interrupt doesn't mean she's not rather curious.
Hattie is careful to stop reaching for anything in the box as soon as she realizes that it can't have anything to do with her. She shakes her head. "I'm not from around here. Only got here a few months back: my family hold at Ruatha River," she explains. "I don't... really know much about Fort's history," goes over a bit reluctantly and she almost blushes to be caught /not/ knowing something. "Maybe it's the Weyrwoman you're looking for. Cirse."
"Not a clue," T'rev murmurs back to Rhodya with a little bemused look. "That guy look familiar atall? Ain't never seen him before m'self." His head lifts a little though as the fellow mentions 'Fort history'. Personal hobby and all that. "Might be I could help," he offers over, eyes on the box now.
Feeling utterly stupid, Inigo closes the lid on the box after he learns he's got the wrong woman. "I'm sorry to have bothered you ma'am." He gives a downward nod and a backward step to the 3. In his haste he turns to exit quickly, but stops on a mark at the other response. "I'm a history lover too, but I seem to fall short with this mystery. You want to give it a stab? I'll tell you all I know."
"It's not a problem," Hattie replies, smiling. "Looks like T'rev's going for it anyhow," she adds. She dips her head towards Rhodya and glances about the room. "I'd better-" Before she can go on, she's distracted by a young girl from the kitchens who just latches onto her wrist out of nowhere and starts to tug her away, looking like she might cry. "What?" Hattie asks her, confused. The girl stops and whispers something to her, then starts hauling her off again. "Oh." She turns an ever so calm smile back over her shoulder. "Something's been burnt," she explains, which makes the girl burst into tears and pull her away faster. "Alright, alright, calm down..."
Rhodya shakes her head. "Can't say I've seen him," she admits. She gives a bright smile back at Hattie, only to watch her pulled away by some kitchens fiasco, so she's left with these two history buffs. "Huh," she laughs, crossing her arms over her chest. History is not her cup of tea, but - "Mystery? How so?" This is directed at Inigo, at whom she also smiles a greeting, stranger or not.
T'rev nods at Rhodya's reply then shoots a little wave of 'good luck' Hattie's way. "Mystery?" the bronzerider echoes Rhodya and gestures for Inigo to come on over. "Sure, why not."
There's not much to hide Inigo's excitement at their willingness to investigate the /box/. "So, I found this a week ago or so, while repairing a wall in the Guest Weyr. There was a spot near the head board that need to be patched. I just figured it was from years of enthusiastic use. But, as I pulled the old plaster back, I found a cavity." He lays a palm on the top of the box. "Inside I could see a bit of red paint, which obviously caught my eye. And actually scared me at first. But, then after I reached in, I found this." The box sits in both hands now, about the length of a man's forearm. "There's a letter."
History is one thing, snooping on people's private correspondence quite another. And Rhodya's all for the latter. She steps forward and brazenly sticks her hand into the box, pulling the letter out rapidly but unfolding it very gently. You'd almost think she's gone through people's mail before. "Oooh, what's it say?" she wonders, even as her eyes start to skim the page. She holds it out a little bit, so T'rev can read over her shoulder if he wants.
There's a little lull in the cavern's noise and a few heads turn towards the little cluster, but soon enough the hubbub of celebration resumes its prior volume. It's about an hour past sunset and the party to celebrate the arrival of Peirith and Zaiventh's eggs is still ongoing. T'rev smirks a little as Rhodya scoops in to catch up the letter and he leans a bit to read over her shoulder. "In the /guest/ weyr? Heh. Funny place to hide somethin'."
Kiah comes striding in from the kitchens into the cavern. A large tray is lifted up in both hands and the little baker goes about setting plates of delicate little pastries all over the dining tables, contributing her part to the feasting. There are little pies of all sorts of flavors, tarts, and even small sweet breads glistening with sweet glaze melted over the top. This plate is set on this table, that plate there. She stops here and there as she gets jostled by revelers and waits until she's got more room before she moves again.
Inigo let's out a little grunt of laughter for the woman's bold grab, "So, what's your name anyhow, or should I call you Miss Grabsthingsthataren'thers?" The mysterious box, looks to be full of items other than a single letter. But, they appear to be blocked by another scrap of hide. "Ella and I read the letter already. Something about a guy having to leave his pregnant wife. Threadfall, I'm sure. And how he loves her and blah blah. But why would that be hidden in a wall? Riders have to leave their wives all the time" Inigo sees the girl with all the food and is briefly reminded that his not yet full. Back to the treasure..."Guest weyr? I suppose that's a place I might hide a secret box."
Rhodya shoots Inigo a grin for the nickname, unbothered by it since it's clearly true. "Rhodya. You might find that easier to say than the other one." Which is so long she's already forgotten it. She goes back to reading the letter, letting herself get swept up by the writer's protestations of love for his life. A hand flutters to her chest and she gives a little "Oh!" of sympathy here and there, whenever she reaches a good line. "That poor man!" she says when she's finished, finally, and hands the letter completely over to T'rev. Sad things make her want food, so she needs her hands free to beckon Kiah over with her platter of desserts. "It's not so much of a mystery," she tells the men, even as she's focused on the treats. "Lot of residents wind up makin' love in the guest weyr, 'cause they ain't got nowhere else to go. Oh, I'll bet they were young, not even a room to themselves, and that was their only place to be together!" All right, now she's making things up. But she's sold on them. "How terribly sad!"
Straight-faced, but only by a hair, T'rev takes the letter from Rhodya to peruse more closely. "Can't be a rider. Riders don't get married," he notes for Inigo's benefit. "Doesn't work out with dragons, y'know," he offers over placidly enough then looks up to see where Rhodya's off to and he grins more widely. "do they have lemon tarts?" he asks the leatherworker incongruously.
Kiah sees Rhodya's gesture and makes her way through the crowds of people to the table where the three are gathered. She sets down the large tray on the table so that they can see what she's got left. "There isn't much left. I'm sorry. I do have a few more things in the kitchen though." A glance is given to the tray. "Lets see. A few cakes in the shape of dragon's eggs, a few tarts of various flavors. A small lemon pie, a cherry pie, and a mixed berry pie. Oh, and some sweet breads. I enjoy those myself." One of the breads is covered in a white sweet glaze that drips all over the small plate its on.
Oh distractions....sweet bread, pies, cakes...all in shiny pretty colors. Inigo has forgotten about the box and stares at the tray of desserts. "One of each, I think." Although, he takes only one pie. Redirect, "So, I was thinking maybe this was a rider, but maybe he didn't want to be a rider. Is that possible?"
"You make a good sweet bread," Rhodya tells the baker with a grin, plucking one of those off the tray. "So I'll take your word and try one of them." Her eyes track from the platter to Inigo's hands as he siphons off desserts for himself, and she tsks. Not at his greed, it turns out - she understands greed - but at his assumption. "What makes him need to be a rider at all?" She'd plant her hands on her hips with this demand, but she's holding a sweet bread, so she can only plant one and look extra disapproving to make up for it. "Don't need a dragon to have romances." Letting some of her scolding air steam off, she turns to Kiah to explain, "Inigo here found somebody's old love letter all hidden away in the guest weyr."
T'rev looks over at Kiah's tray as she approaches, flashes her a bright, charming grin and reaches over to steal that lemon pie. "All that looks great," the bronzerider compliments, then carefully sets the letter back in the box so he doesn't get dessert on it. "What else is in there?"
Kiah watches Inigo with quiet interest, she keeps track of these things, who likes what and she smiles at Rhodya, a small quiet smile. A shrug follows as she tucks a lock of unruly hair behind one ear. "I have plenty of more bread in the kitchen if anyone wants more." Her attention turns to T'rev as he takes the last lemon pie and the smile he turns on her causes her to turn nearly as red as her hair. She looks back down at her tray. "A love letter? I've never seen one of those. Was it terribly sweet?"
To Miss Grabsthings...er...Rhodya, Inigo gives an excited nod, "Yes, yes, that's probably exactly right. Maybe he got the girl pregnant, and she was someone else's betrothed. And he had to flee to avoid death at the hands of a jealous partner." Fueled by his own speculation, Inigo reaches into the box "What else...." Out he pulls a carved piece of skybroom. "It's a runner." Flipping it around he sees the lines and reads them aloud: "Harper, I would travel far When one day I am grown And sail a boat upon the wind To places I have never been Learn things I had not known.
T'rev takes a bite of his pie, nods a couple of times. "Very nice," he tells Kiah gently, likely having notice that blush. Inigo's speculations though just a one-sided smile. "You really think so? Most folks that happens to seem to flee /to/ the Weyr, not away from it," the bronzerider notes, good-humored. "Hm. That sounds like a kid's thing, don't it?"
Kiah clears her throat, pausing a moment as if she's trying to decide to take away her tray or stay and talk. "Does it have to be so .. eventful and dramatic? Perhaps it was just a visitor here who meant to send that off to his wife while being assigned here for a time and accidentally left it instead of sending it." She blushes again, shifting on her feet. "But, I haven't read it, either."
Carys briskly enters the cavern with a barley-visible smirk on her face. She doesn't offer anyone much of a greeting as she makes her way through the crowd to get to the serving tables. After waiting a while, getting her food, and turning around, she spies T'rev first out of anyone and starts walking in his direction. Those around him the rider doesn't know, but she also doesn't much care. Her eyes are only on the bronzer. "Hey, T'rev! How's it goin'?" Rys is completely oblivious to any conversation going no, too, apparently.
Rhodya tugs the letter right out of T'rev's hands (though not forcefully, lest she rip it) and pushes it towards Kiah. "It's the sweetest thing," she tells the young baker. "And you /should/ read it, 'specially if you haven't had one of these before. It says he /has/ to leave her, but oh, he doesn't want to, and he talks about how beautiful she is and how wonderful he feels around her... Read it," she concludes with a firm nod, allowing the letter to speak for itself. She's so wrapped up in this mystery, now, that in turn she fails to notice Carys, because Inigo's guesswork has attracted her. "That's right, I'll bet the girl didn't even get to choose who she could be with, otherwise of course she'd've come with him, in love the way he was! Poor thing probably had her a marriage arranged by family, but it was this fella," she points back at the letter she's trying to shove on Kiah, "she really felt for."
And there goes the letter, so T'rev just contents himself with eating the rest of his pie, listening to the exchange of opinions. His eyes twinkle now and then while he bites and chews his way through the pie, but he doesn't make any smart remarks. Carys' voice turns him about a little and he smiles at her sunnily, albeit close-mouthed and waves. "Mmppph," he says. Pie in mouth.
Kiah takes the letter with a brief hesitant movement and sits down in a spot next to her tray. Someone comes up behind her to steal a tart and she turns to look at him briefly before turning back to the letter. "Oh. Oh. That's so sad. Thwarted love." She reads through it, line by line, then obviously goes back up to the top and reads it again. "Maybe she was the rider, and he was a crafter and they had a love affair, but they couldn't get married because she impressed." A pause and then another hesitant offer of thought. "They could have been engaged before that."
Carys tries to find an open spot next to or near T'rev, and grins at him. "Good pie?" she asks. Then she flicks her gaze over to Kiah and Rhodya each, looking them over with interest. "What's this about love letters? And why're you grabbin' things?" She tries not to sound rude, but she's definitely being nosey.
Inigo kindly takes the letter back. Feeling the crowd swarming around, he suddenly gets very protective of his special box. The letter is gingerly refolded and placed back in it's spot. Lid closed, latch secured. "I think maybe this is too personal. Probably isn't right to have a bunch of people digging through someone's private things. Maybe I should just bury it outside somewhere." Or not. With that vague statement, he stands up to leave the crowd. "Thank you for your help, sorry so abrupt, but I'm not feeling well." Crowds. With that he's off.
"Very good," T'rev answers promptly once his mouth is clear and he breaks off a little piece to share with his clutchmate. "M'good, by the by, n' you?" His gaze flicks back towards departing Inigo and he gives the man a little wave. "Good luck with that, come find me if you need any help with any history stuff," he calls after. "That fella found a box in one of the guest weyrs with love letters n' stuff in it. Now we're all wonderin' what the story really is behind it all."
Kiah blinks several times at her empty hands, looking surprised. The letter was there a minute ago. A brief dirty look is short at Inigo's back before she takes a deep breath and her expression clears. "Does anyone want something different? I could, um, make it for tomorrow."
Rhodya startles at the sound of another voice, twisting around until she spots Carys. She grins, not abashed in the slightest by her grabbiness with this particular. "Well, seein' as it don't belong to anybody, I'm just passing it around." She pauses, though, to watch Inigo reclaim the letter. His concern about the mysterious lover's privacy clearly doesn't reach to her, for the leatherworker merely shrugs at the idea that they've crossed some personal boundary and goes back to gossiping about it. "You can't get searched if you're engaged. Least, so I was told," she mutters. More brightly, "But maybe he just wanted to get married, and even though they hadn't agreed on anything yet it just broke his heart when she got Searched and became a rider.
Carys welcomes the offered pie, and holds her plate forward for it. "Ooh, thanks! I'm excited to taste it." She listens to his explanation about the box and letter as she watches Inigo leave. "/Really/? If I'm not around when you guys figure it out, fill me in later. I love a good mystery!" She eats the bit of pie and closes her eyes with a smile. "Mmm, that's good! You're uh...you're not going to finish it, right?" The rider smiles over at Rhodya when she makes an excuse for grabbing, and then ponders her theory. "That could be. Makes sense to me, anyway."
"M'good, thanks," T'rev tells Kiah with another one of those smiles of his. "Lemon's a favorite o' mine," he confides and looks over at the other two. "Mm, supposed t'be free of entanglements t'be Searched," the bronzerider says thoughtfully. "Don't mean that someone might not've tried to sneak off anyhow," he continues then he points between Rhodya and Carys. "Don't think y'all know each other. Rhodya, this is Carys, blue Llioth's, he and Mecaith hatched together. Carys, this here's Rhodya, leatherworker and poker player extraordinaire and a baker on the side."
Kiah goes a bright red as she's singled out by Carys. "I'm an Apprentice Baker posted here, bluerider." She did hear the introduction. "Name's Kiah. Do you want a different kind of pie?" She asks Carys and then holds up a plate with a variety of berry pies. Another glance at the tray and she frowns slightly, almost never looking up to look at people's faces. "Um, I might have more lemon in the kitchen, but there aren't any left here."
Carys gives a little smile to Rhodya once more and nods. "Nice t'meet ya. Leatherworker, poker player, /and/ a baker? You're busy. We'll have to do poker sometime. T'rev used to tease me when we played, but I think I've gotten better." She looks over at Kiah again and says, "Oh, nice t'meet you too. You don't have to call me bluerider, you can call me Rys." Then she gapes at the pie plate and grins. "Ooh, berry! Thanks, er...Kiah? Yeah, Kiah." She helps herself to a couple of pieces and digs in. With her mouth partly full she adds, "You oughtta be a journeyman baker now. This is /good/."
Grinning broadly, Rhodya tips an imaginary hat as her accomplishments are listed. "I try to keep busy," she says modestly. "Kiah here's the real baker, though - and by the way, this bread is just delicious." She snuck a few bites in while T'rev was handing out introductions. She's been standing this whole time, but now she flops into a seat and looks up at Kiah, wondering with a raised eyebrow if she'll do the same. "No need to go anywhere, Kiah, everybody's well-fed and gettin' friendly, you done your duty. Have a sit if you can get away with it." She winks, then takes another bite of bread.
Catching Kiah's introduction of herself, T'rev beams. "Kiah. Nice name and if you've got more lemon pie, I sure wouldn't say no," he says good-naturedly. "T'rev, bronze Mecaith's," he tacks on his own name and laughs at Carys' remarks about poker. "Yeaaah, we should have a game sometime. See if you can win a pot off me, Rys."
Kiah was sitting, she sat to read the letter so she gives Rhodya a smile and then shakes her head slightly. "I can sit for a minute, unless the Bronzerider wants me to check for more lemon pies." She smiles a bit more at Rhodya at the compliment and Carys comments on the pie make her even glow a little. That triggers another blush and then she jumps to her feet again. Bronzerider wants pie. Bronzeriders usually get what they want, she's noticed in the short time she's been here. She turns to walk to the kitchen to get them and nearly runs into one of the residents. She stops, stands there until the way clears /completely/, endless patience until things are they way she wants them and then she walks sedately to the kitchen, weaving back and forth so that no one touches her.
Even though she's smiling, she glares at her clutchmate. "I /know/ I can win a pot off you! Bring it, T." Kiah's brief exit is watched with a curious expression, and then her attention is back to the other two at the table. "Ok, so you two oughtta snag me next time you're free. I'm tellin' ya, I've got a great poker face, now! And I'm a good liar!" This is debatable.
Rhodya leans her cheek into an up-raised palm, her expression bemused as Kiah hurries away to serve T'rev. "I'd keep her around if I were you, T'rev," she remarks with a chuckle, turning back to the two still at the table. "Takes your order straightaway, and she bakes like a dream." Rhodya's grin turns impish, and it only gets broader when Rys challenges the two card sharps to a poker match. "Heck yeah, I always like playing cards with new people. Makes a game more social, and anyway, T'rev's got to get himself whupped once in a while to keep him humble." She winks at him.
T'rev grins widely at Carys. "You gonna put real marks behind that?" he teases her then opens his mouth to let Kiah know that staying put would be just fine, only she's hopping up and just going. Which leaves T'rev blinking a little. "Ki--" he starts but she's already well away and looks over at Rhodya, shakes his head a little. "Won't complain 'bout good pie, but we'll have to have a wee chat 'bout the whole servin' bit."
Carys looks at Rhodya with doubt. "T'rev can be kept humble? Where've I been?" The remarks about Kiah make the rider smirk, and she glances up at T'rev with a wicked gleam in her eye. "Yeah, T, what more could you possibly want?" The poker question gets a nod and a frown. "Well /yeah/, whaddya think I'm just sayin' stuff?"
Kiah comes back in from the kitchen with a large plate covered in pies. She eventually returns to the table, setting the plate in front of T'rev. "Some lemon," she says softly. "But also some with sweet cream. I didn't make them, my cousin did, but they're fresh and still warm from the ovens." She moves over to sit next to Rhodya, not used to talking to riders. They obviously intimidate her.
Rhodya cheerfully makes room for Kiah, scooting aside to make room for her even as she starts reaching for one of those pies. Mmm, pie. "Rys," she says, shaking her head, "every time you call him T I start lookin' around for my ex-boyfriend. Used to be what I called /him/." She smiles, though, and points a finger at T'rev. "Far as I'm concerned, you're gonna be T'rev to your dying day. And sure, you can be kept humble, right? If he weren't too much of a man to blush, he might've done it when Kiah got up to fetch him pies." She's in a fine mood today, that's for sure. Who wouldn't be, with delicious pie and bread to follow up an exciting love-letter mystery?
One of T'rev's hands presses to his chest in mock affront. "When'm I not humble, Carys?" he says, all wide-eyed and innocent. "But all right, you got it. Real marks, harper rules?" He's about to go on when Kiah gets back with the pies and he looks down at the plate for a moment, then looks up at the baker and says very sincerely: "/Thank you/, Kiah. That was very kind of you. Didn't have to do that, but I'll be sure t'appreciate the effort and share with everyone. You should have some too." So saying, once Rhodya has served herself, he picks up the plate and offers it around to the others too and waits to sneak another pie for himself until after they have or have refused. Rhodya's commentary earns a sidelong look and the faintest hint of a wry smile. "Used t'be Trevan. So. Trev's just fine. Wouldn't want to be confused with the damn fool that let you go," he tells her with a wink.
Kiah curls her hands in her lap and nods mutely at the thanks. "Nah, I snuck one in the kitchen. The cream ones are my favorite. He found out, so he made them for me." She was sharing her own private stash perhaps. "You guys want anything else? I'm 'bout to go on shift in the kitchen, so tell me now or I'll be too busy." Her eyes lift briefly to look at her tablemates and then she looks back down at her hands curled in her lap.
Carys snickers at Rhodya's response to "T", and shrugs. "Well sorry. I'll call him T-rev instead." She gives the bronzer a nod at 'harper rules' and then glances up at Kiah when she comes back. "/More/ pie? I'm gonna die, I can't stop eating it!" One of the sweet cream ones is taken, and she samples it with a smiley face. "Yer cousin's good, too, but I like yours better. You should make this kind for tomorrow so I can compare."
"No, you wouldn't," Rhodya informs T'rev briskly (but still cheerfully), looking down at the slice of (cream) pie she's chosen. Cutting off the tip of it, she balances it on her fork for a moment more to look around at Kiah with a smile. "Nah, that's all right. Like Rys was sayin', we've got enough to stuff ourselves and then some." She pops the pie into her mouth and mms. "And it /is/ good, though I don't even know who your cousin is in there. Tell him it's a hit, anyway."
"No thank you, Kiah. I think we're all set, good stuff here," T'rev says with a gesture to what's left on the plate as he sets it down, claims his second lemon and sets to nibbling. "And it sounds like we got a plan for cards. Might need a fourth though. Hm." He ponders for a moment while eating more pie, looks over at Rhodya briefly, then nods back over at Kiah. if you're headin' back to work, have a good shift."
Kiah smiles at the delight in the pies and then she nods at Carys' suggestion. "Oh, I will, but they're a bit harder. You may certainly compare them." Then she nods to everyone at the table respectfully, even Rhodya and rises. "I've got the breads to bake for the early morning wings coming off patrol." And then she returns to the kitchen in what seems to be her usual manner, slow, studied, carefully, planned.
Rhodya catches that look, and immediately starts shaking her head. "Nuh-uh, you ain't inviting my Papa to play. I've told you he ain't good at it, and I don't want to spend the whole time he's here trying to win his marks back." She looks up at Kiah's parting words, a bright smile ready to answer the respectful nod that's sent her way. "Bye, Kiah!" she calls after her.
More pie eatin' the odd remark traded and T'rev waves as Carys slips away, nods when Kiah departs, politely. Rhodya's claim draws out a laugh. "You're assumin' that's who I was thinkin' of. Besides, can always just switch to tokens," the bronzerider points out, though Carys'd tan my hide. Once she gets an idea, she don't let go, that girl." T'rev leans back in his chair, eyes a bit of lingering cream filling on his thumb, licks it off. "Anyone you particularly feel like tryin' to win a few off of?"
Rhodya sends a wave after Carys, too, then returns to eye T'rev thoughtfully. Eventually, she starts to grin. "How 'bout Winston? Or Phara, since I haven't yet run across her in a match. I think I can give poor F'sen a break and leave him out of this one," she remarks, nodding somberly as if it were most generous of her, giving up an opportunity to torment her favorite bluerider. "Even Rev, seems like he could use some time out from bein' a sort-of egg Papa. Heck, when it comes down to it I'd like to win a few off everybody." Her grin gets toothy - silly.
"Either, sure. Winston to even boys n' girls, Phara though, she's a dab hand at it and she n' Carys're good friends, or were last I knew," T'rev notes and settles his eyes on Rhodya's face again. That grin makes him laugh and he nods. "Yeah. Be good to get Rev out and about and doin' something that ain't thinkin' about the Weyr and ... whatever else he's got on his mind."
"Well, I leave the recruitin' up to you," Rhodya says, with a playful and improperly executed salute. She leans forward, planting both arms on the table in front of her and then resting her chin on them. She peers up at T'rev. "Hey, how much time've you got before I lose you to more interestin' things?"
T'rev's head tips to the side and he smiles. "All right. I'll see 'bout both of 'em," the bronzerider agrees readily, turns a palm upwar and gestures expansively. "S'much as you want tonight. Whatcha got in mind? I've been thinkin' about some fresh air myself. Check on Mecaith, he's restless."
As readily as she planted herself down on the table, Rhodya pops back up with a smile. "Then let's entertain him, and I got a question for you along the way." She stands up, but pauses a few moments to collect everyone's empty plate so she can leave it on a dirty-dishes table on the way out. What remains of the pies, though, she leaves for the next lucky sitter. "'Cause you like history, don't ya? Diggin' around in records and stuff."
T'rev stands and picks up his jacket. "Sure, if you're up for it we can even go flyin'," he answers and bobs his head once. "Yep. Sure do. Got a taste for it when i was doin' catchup lessons as a weyrling at Telgar. How come?" As he ambles at an easy pace through the crowd, mindful of not losing step with his companion.
"'Cause my Papa got on my case," Rhodya answers with a laugh, falling in alongside the bronzerider. Well, aside from the part where she ducks out to set those plates down; then they're off to the long-legged races. "See, the reason I picked Fort to come to was my mother having Impressed here, and I figured I might be able to find out more about her from records or whatnot. 'Course like I told you, I ain't much of a reader, and the thought of digging through those things makes my eyes go crossed. If you could point me in the direction of any hides you think'd be useful, though, I'd much appreciate it." As they get to the exit leading to the bowl, Rhodya tugs the jacket she's wearing (it's leather, and looks new) closed and snaps it up.
"Oh, gotcha. Yeah, I can point you in the right direction. Do you one better even," T'rev offers as he tugs his scarf a little tighter and crosses over into fresh outdoor air. "I can find you the right volumes and bring 'em out to where you'd rather read, even. There's some comfortable enough chairs in the Records Room though, honest." Off in the distance, Mecaith is waiting, eyes fixed on the pair, paws shifting in the light dusting of snow on the ground.
Rhodya starts to walk funny - a low, slinging sort of stride - but the snow's so thin it may take a second for it to register that what she's doing is scuffing it up as she goes. "That'd be right nice of you. I don't know, you think the records staff'd have a fit if I poked through hides while I was workin' leather? Just the brainless stuff, you know, that I usually just daydream while doing." She peers across the bowl at the shape she /thinks/ is Mecaith, and gives the bronze a hearty wave. If it's the wrong dragon, she just made a new friend.
That funny walk earns a look and then a double-take before T'rev laughs again. "Don't like it lyin' smooth with your footprints in?" the bronzerider asks as they walk along and he tips his head up to look at the stars coming out in the newly dark sky. "Depends. If it's delicate stuff, don't want to be bringing anything sharp-edged on over, y'know? But softening somethin' up, that wouldn't be too big a deal." His gaze crosses over towards Mecaith a frown faintly denting his brows as the bronze pushes up to his feet and comes over to meet them. It's not T'rev though that he ducks his head towards, but Rhodya, neck curving downwards gracefully. "Huh ..." is what T'rev says next, mouth pulled faintly to the side.
"Ain't you sweet," Rhodya says to Mecaith when he comes up to greet her, her smile widening at the sight of that sort-of bow. To T'rev, she continues, "Oh, sure, nothing that'd risk doin' damage it. I mean, I've got respect for leather, so if it's anything on a hide it's perfectly safe with me. I just didn't know how uptight the records folk'd be, if it came back to them I was sitting their precious things down next to awls and scrapers and stuff." Now that Mecaith's walked over to them, she stops scuffing the snow and starts writing in it, sticking her toe out in front of T'rev to scrape a little 'Hi' at him.
T'rev's scratching at the back of his neck and rolling his shoulders, looking almost like he's just had snow dropped down his collar, only there's none in sight. Mecaith's muzzle drops, nudging gently at Rhodya's shoulder right before he gets fascinated by her snow writing. His rider smiles, oddly silent for the span of a few seconds, then extends a foot and traces lines of his own in the snow. First a 'Hi' back. Then right below that something a little longer. 'Wanna Stand?'. And he looks up at the leatherworker expectantly tilts his head towards Mecaith. "He's askin'."
Rhodya starts off watching T'rev scratch in that longer message, but it takes so long that she decides to spend her attention on Mecaith instead, since she's apparently got his. Her hand tries here and there on his muzzle, searching for a place he likes to be scratched, before the lack of scrape-sounds tells her T'rev is done and she glances down. "What?" she asks, disbelieving, and lets out a laugh. "Oh, don't you kid, the eggs ain't hardly in existence yet. What's he /really/ said?" She turns back to Mecaith with a playfully expectant grin, as though he could just open his mouth and tell her straight.
Nudging again, very lightly, Mecaith's head turns so Rhodya's hands can find his /favorite/ spot for such attention. /There/. "Ain't kiddin'," T'rev says quite seriously, hands tucking into pockets. "He wants you to Stand for 'em when they get hard enough. Don't have t'say yes or no right now though. Think about if y'like. Good thing about now: ain't no Thread. But it's still a big ole switch." Beat. "Bein' a rider." He takes a breath, lets it out and looks back up at the stars, idly scratches out another word in the snow, grin lopsided as he does. 'Please?'.
Rhodya's smile slips a little when she looks back this time: apparently, it has just reached her that yeah, T'rev sounds serious on this one. And so does Mecaith. Her hand goes automatically to the spot he's nudged her to, because scratching it gives her something to do while she looks around for that bus that just hit her. After a long moment, she finds her voice. "It's just - well, I ain't ever - hmph." Mecaith will have to make do with only a brief spate of scratching, because Rhodya draws herself together and crosses her arms, staring down at that message in the snow. "You know," she says at last, defiant, "I think I do. Wanna Stand." When she looks up to meet T'rev's eye, there's still a glimmer of hard determination left in her expression. Then it dissolves into a giant grin.
That makes for a happy Mecaith if only briefly though he straightens back up with placid grace and settles down in a neat curl, tail flipping back and forth just a little. T'rev just keeps looking at her sidelong, that same grin on his face while he waits for her to work it through. Her answer brings back one of his wider, brighter smiles. "All right then. Whoo! Candidate Rhodya. How's the sound of that, huh?" And he takes a half-step towards her, apparently intending to offer a hug. Or even a little spin around.
"Weird as heck," says Rhodya, stepping into that hug. If he didn't intend for a spin around, he's forced into it, because after the hug Rhodya keeps hold of his hand and twirls herself. "'Course you realize this means I can't go flyin' anymore. I've gotta tell my Papa, maybe make fun of him for missin' it." She's practically giddy now - maybe the spin helped her to it, since she did come out of it with a little wobble. "Hey, you think we could stage it again for him? But, nah, I'd only give it up bein' excited. 'Sides I don't want to." It's possible that she's not really listening to what she's saying, just letting her mouth run off while her brain kicks around this whole 'candidate' idea.
"Nah, I'm a rider, silly, you can still go flyin'," T'rev says, laughing as she goes for the spin and he tugs on her hand lightly to bring her a few steps back towards him. Hey, dancing in the snow. "Just can't go as far when it gets later on," the bronzerider nods with a cheeky grin. "And the weird'll pass after a bit. Leastways, hope it will. Did for me after a bit." He does another little dance step, makes to spin her again, still grinning. "So you'll be needin' to shift your gear over to the barracks 'stead of the dorms, but you don't gotta do that 'til tomorrow sometime. I'll let Shevena know you been Searched n' all, but it can wait 'til mornin'. Reminds me though, wanna get a drink while you still can?" Teasing there.
Rhodya comes back obediently back at that tug, beaming as she's sent into another spin. She's steady coming out of it this time, which is good, because if she was still light-headed she'd get drunk too fast. "I just meant I can't go flying /now/, 'cause I've got to tell my Papa right away. And what about Mecaith here, ain't he still restless?" As their dance steps take them by the bronze, she reaches out to brush his muzzle again. "I'll thank you proper in a second," she promises him, before circling away again. "Tell you what. If you wanna run get some drinks, I'll go tell the old man, and we can meet up back out here to get toasty with Mecaith."
"Ahhh, gotcha, and good point. Yeah. Should definitely go tell your old man." T'rev smiles still then shakes his head. "Mecaith was restless because he wanted me t'ask you and for you t'say yes. So. He's back to bein' pretty calm. Just pleased now too." He winks at her in the dark then frees a hand to salute. "You got it. Meet you back here in few." There's one last spin offered and then T'rev sketches a brief bow, before turning to head inward towards the bar for a couple of mugs of something warm with some kick. Hot buttered rum for instance. To celebrate and get toasty with all in one go.
When: Evening (?) on day 27, month 12, turn 18 of Interval 10.
Where: Living Cavern and Bowl, Fort Weyr
What: Inigo's found a mysterious, lost love letter tucked away in the guest weyr, and Rhodya seizes the chance to wax romantic about its origins. Later that night, she gets searched.
"You and your Mecaith can appear out of nowhere on a day to day basis, so I think we'll call it even," Hattie decides, smirking a little. "I can't decide whether I think Fort Sea must be more worried about actually ending up clothes-less or are more interested in the marks they might make with all that fabric when people get desperate. Either way, it doesn't matter much, it's just sharding irritating." A caverns-worker who scrambles out of the way of being poked by any number of things in that huge bag bumps into Hattie, who leans round them to call, "Excuse me? You mind being careful with that?" to the bag's owner.
"Good point, though at least you totally expect every dragon to be able to do it, not /every/ headwoman is that talented, right?" T'rev says with further humor then makes another face. "Bah. I just hope that none of my good stuff wears out before there's stock to use to replace it with. I grew up wearin' rough stuff and I sure don't miss that none. I /like/ cotton n' sisal." The bronzerider's eyes lift as the little bag incident takes place and his brows lift a little. "Busy night ..."
Inigo should probably chew first before swallowing, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Inbetween bites his eyes are scanning the room for dark haired ladies. He sees one in a red frock, too old. Then another, but she's too fair. His eyes finally fall on an attractive brunette, in conversation with a familiar handsome face, T'rev comes to mind. Food has been forgotten as he rises to go see his companion is the woman he's been looking for...
"If they were all that brilliant, none of us would stand out," Hattie says, a smug smile only just hidden by the dip of her lips to her glass. "You really think that if they can't trust Fort Sea, they'll use Ruatha River instead?" she questions. "I think I'm going to start hiding my clothes in-case people decide that they need to start nabbing each others'..." Her voice trails off and she blinks as she catches someone staring at her, someone moving closer. "...Can I help you?" she asks, almost imperiously.
"There you go," T'rev says to Hattie with another little smile and his shoulders lift. "Makes more sense than tryin' to go all that way on them roads up from Gar, don't it?" he points out. "Ain't quite so far from Ruatha River as it is up from Gar. Could drop there and then well, riders could do transport duty." His brows flare upward at that remark. "Well that'd take all, wouldn't it?" Then he's looking in the same direction as Hattie, curiously.
Two sets of eyes turn towards Inigo. He looks down feeling a little flush suddenly. While walking, he reaches for the object that has lead him here. The box. As he reaches the two, he reaches out his arms to show them the red item. "You must be Hattie, I've got something to show you."
Rhodya comes in from the bowl, stifling a yawn behind her hand. Despite her general sluggishness, her gaze moves quickly enough around the room, alighting on the familiar form of T'rev and heading that way. Oh, but she's interrupted some kind of - gift - presentation - thing. She hangs back a bit, in sight but saying nothing, to watch.
"Yes, but-" 'but I'm not there to sort it all out' is the more than obvious sentiment behind those words, Hattie's eyes gone a bit wide and staring. She blinks a couple of times, still processing, and looks away from T'rev and suddenly back to Inigo again. "That'd be me," she confirms. "Something I can help with?" isn't quite so sharp this time and she eyes the box.
T'rev's curiousity only seems to increase as Inigo speaks, but he just takes a little half step back a half-grin sent Hattie's way for that abortive sentence. As he gives Inigo that little bit of space, the bronzerider catches sight of Rhodya and his smile waxes bright in her direction. T'rev edges over thattaway just a bit, leans down to offer over a companionable, "Heya," to the leatherworker.
Feeling a little intimidated by this group of strangers, still Inigo moves closer, box protecting him from being to close. A hey is given to the man he believes to be T'rev. And then back to Hattie, "I found this the other day. Was told you may know something about Fort's history" He slowly unlatches the box and reveals its contents, a faded letter covering the contents. "Do I have the right woman?"
Noticed, Rhodya welcomes T'rev to her out-of-the-way observer's space with a friendly smile and a welcoming pat on the shoulder. "Hey there," she murmurs, keeping her voice down lest she interrupt Inigo's presentation. "Any idea what that's all about?" She tugs her chin at said presentation; just because she's loathe to interrupt doesn't mean she's not rather curious.
Hattie is careful to stop reaching for anything in the box as soon as she realizes that it can't have anything to do with her. She shakes her head. "I'm not from around here. Only got here a few months back: my family hold at Ruatha River," she explains. "I don't... really know much about Fort's history," goes over a bit reluctantly and she almost blushes to be caught /not/ knowing something. "Maybe it's the Weyrwoman you're looking for. Cirse."
"Not a clue," T'rev murmurs back to Rhodya with a little bemused look. "That guy look familiar atall? Ain't never seen him before m'self." His head lifts a little though as the fellow mentions 'Fort history'. Personal hobby and all that. "Might be I could help," he offers over, eyes on the box now.
Feeling utterly stupid, Inigo closes the lid on the box after he learns he's got the wrong woman. "I'm sorry to have bothered you ma'am." He gives a downward nod and a backward step to the 3. In his haste he turns to exit quickly, but stops on a mark at the other response. "I'm a history lover too, but I seem to fall short with this mystery. You want to give it a stab? I'll tell you all I know."
"It's not a problem," Hattie replies, smiling. "Looks like T'rev's going for it anyhow," she adds. She dips her head towards Rhodya and glances about the room. "I'd better-" Before she can go on, she's distracted by a young girl from the kitchens who just latches onto her wrist out of nowhere and starts to tug her away, looking like she might cry. "What?" Hattie asks her, confused. The girl stops and whispers something to her, then starts hauling her off again. "Oh." She turns an ever so calm smile back over her shoulder. "Something's been burnt," she explains, which makes the girl burst into tears and pull her away faster. "Alright, alright, calm down..."
Rhodya shakes her head. "Can't say I've seen him," she admits. She gives a bright smile back at Hattie, only to watch her pulled away by some kitchens fiasco, so she's left with these two history buffs. "Huh," she laughs, crossing her arms over her chest. History is not her cup of tea, but - "Mystery? How so?" This is directed at Inigo, at whom she also smiles a greeting, stranger or not.
T'rev nods at Rhodya's reply then shoots a little wave of 'good luck' Hattie's way. "Mystery?" the bronzerider echoes Rhodya and gestures for Inigo to come on over. "Sure, why not."
There's not much to hide Inigo's excitement at their willingness to investigate the /box/. "So, I found this a week ago or so, while repairing a wall in the Guest Weyr. There was a spot near the head board that need to be patched. I just figured it was from years of enthusiastic use. But, as I pulled the old plaster back, I found a cavity." He lays a palm on the top of the box. "Inside I could see a bit of red paint, which obviously caught my eye. And actually scared me at first. But, then after I reached in, I found this." The box sits in both hands now, about the length of a man's forearm. "There's a letter."
History is one thing, snooping on people's private correspondence quite another. And Rhodya's all for the latter. She steps forward and brazenly sticks her hand into the box, pulling the letter out rapidly but unfolding it very gently. You'd almost think she's gone through people's mail before. "Oooh, what's it say?" she wonders, even as her eyes start to skim the page. She holds it out a little bit, so T'rev can read over her shoulder if he wants.
There's a little lull in the cavern's noise and a few heads turn towards the little cluster, but soon enough the hubbub of celebration resumes its prior volume. It's about an hour past sunset and the party to celebrate the arrival of Peirith and Zaiventh's eggs is still ongoing. T'rev smirks a little as Rhodya scoops in to catch up the letter and he leans a bit to read over her shoulder. "In the /guest/ weyr? Heh. Funny place to hide somethin'."
Kiah comes striding in from the kitchens into the cavern. A large tray is lifted up in both hands and the little baker goes about setting plates of delicate little pastries all over the dining tables, contributing her part to the feasting. There are little pies of all sorts of flavors, tarts, and even small sweet breads glistening with sweet glaze melted over the top. This plate is set on this table, that plate there. She stops here and there as she gets jostled by revelers and waits until she's got more room before she moves again.
Inigo let's out a little grunt of laughter for the woman's bold grab, "So, what's your name anyhow, or should I call you Miss Grabsthingsthataren'thers?" The mysterious box, looks to be full of items other than a single letter. But, they appear to be blocked by another scrap of hide. "Ella and I read the letter already. Something about a guy having to leave his pregnant wife. Threadfall, I'm sure. And how he loves her and blah blah. But why would that be hidden in a wall? Riders have to leave their wives all the time" Inigo sees the girl with all the food and is briefly reminded that his not yet full. Back to the treasure..."Guest weyr? I suppose that's a place I might hide a secret box."
Rhodya shoots Inigo a grin for the nickname, unbothered by it since it's clearly true. "Rhodya. You might find that easier to say than the other one." Which is so long she's already forgotten it. She goes back to reading the letter, letting herself get swept up by the writer's protestations of love for his life. A hand flutters to her chest and she gives a little "Oh!" of sympathy here and there, whenever she reaches a good line. "That poor man!" she says when she's finished, finally, and hands the letter completely over to T'rev. Sad things make her want food, so she needs her hands free to beckon Kiah over with her platter of desserts. "It's not so much of a mystery," she tells the men, even as she's focused on the treats. "Lot of residents wind up makin' love in the guest weyr, 'cause they ain't got nowhere else to go. Oh, I'll bet they were young, not even a room to themselves, and that was their only place to be together!" All right, now she's making things up. But she's sold on them. "How terribly sad!"
Straight-faced, but only by a hair, T'rev takes the letter from Rhodya to peruse more closely. "Can't be a rider. Riders don't get married," he notes for Inigo's benefit. "Doesn't work out with dragons, y'know," he offers over placidly enough then looks up to see where Rhodya's off to and he grins more widely. "do they have lemon tarts?" he asks the leatherworker incongruously.
Kiah sees Rhodya's gesture and makes her way through the crowds of people to the table where the three are gathered. She sets down the large tray on the table so that they can see what she's got left. "There isn't much left. I'm sorry. I do have a few more things in the kitchen though." A glance is given to the tray. "Lets see. A few cakes in the shape of dragon's eggs, a few tarts of various flavors. A small lemon pie, a cherry pie, and a mixed berry pie. Oh, and some sweet breads. I enjoy those myself." One of the breads is covered in a white sweet glaze that drips all over the small plate its on.
Oh distractions....sweet bread, pies, cakes...all in shiny pretty colors. Inigo has forgotten about the box and stares at the tray of desserts. "One of each, I think." Although, he takes only one pie. Redirect, "So, I was thinking maybe this was a rider, but maybe he didn't want to be a rider. Is that possible?"
"You make a good sweet bread," Rhodya tells the baker with a grin, plucking one of those off the tray. "So I'll take your word and try one of them." Her eyes track from the platter to Inigo's hands as he siphons off desserts for himself, and she tsks. Not at his greed, it turns out - she understands greed - but at his assumption. "What makes him need to be a rider at all?" She'd plant her hands on her hips with this demand, but she's holding a sweet bread, so she can only plant one and look extra disapproving to make up for it. "Don't need a dragon to have romances." Letting some of her scolding air steam off, she turns to Kiah to explain, "Inigo here found somebody's old love letter all hidden away in the guest weyr."
T'rev looks over at Kiah's tray as she approaches, flashes her a bright, charming grin and reaches over to steal that lemon pie. "All that looks great," the bronzerider compliments, then carefully sets the letter back in the box so he doesn't get dessert on it. "What else is in there?"
Kiah watches Inigo with quiet interest, she keeps track of these things, who likes what and she smiles at Rhodya, a small quiet smile. A shrug follows as she tucks a lock of unruly hair behind one ear. "I have plenty of more bread in the kitchen if anyone wants more." Her attention turns to T'rev as he takes the last lemon pie and the smile he turns on her causes her to turn nearly as red as her hair. She looks back down at her tray. "A love letter? I've never seen one of those. Was it terribly sweet?"
To Miss Grabsthings...er...Rhodya, Inigo gives an excited nod, "Yes, yes, that's probably exactly right. Maybe he got the girl pregnant, and she was someone else's betrothed. And he had to flee to avoid death at the hands of a jealous partner." Fueled by his own speculation, Inigo reaches into the box "What else...." Out he pulls a carved piece of skybroom. "It's a runner." Flipping it around he sees the lines and reads them aloud: "Harper, I would travel far When one day I am grown And sail a boat upon the wind To places I have never been Learn things I had not known.
T'rev takes a bite of his pie, nods a couple of times. "Very nice," he tells Kiah gently, likely having notice that blush. Inigo's speculations though just a one-sided smile. "You really think so? Most folks that happens to seem to flee /to/ the Weyr, not away from it," the bronzerider notes, good-humored. "Hm. That sounds like a kid's thing, don't it?"
Kiah clears her throat, pausing a moment as if she's trying to decide to take away her tray or stay and talk. "Does it have to be so .. eventful and dramatic? Perhaps it was just a visitor here who meant to send that off to his wife while being assigned here for a time and accidentally left it instead of sending it." She blushes again, shifting on her feet. "But, I haven't read it, either."
Carys briskly enters the cavern with a barley-visible smirk on her face. She doesn't offer anyone much of a greeting as she makes her way through the crowd to get to the serving tables. After waiting a while, getting her food, and turning around, she spies T'rev first out of anyone and starts walking in his direction. Those around him the rider doesn't know, but she also doesn't much care. Her eyes are only on the bronzer. "Hey, T'rev! How's it goin'?" Rys is completely oblivious to any conversation going no, too, apparently.
Rhodya tugs the letter right out of T'rev's hands (though not forcefully, lest she rip it) and pushes it towards Kiah. "It's the sweetest thing," she tells the young baker. "And you /should/ read it, 'specially if you haven't had one of these before. It says he /has/ to leave her, but oh, he doesn't want to, and he talks about how beautiful she is and how wonderful he feels around her... Read it," she concludes with a firm nod, allowing the letter to speak for itself. She's so wrapped up in this mystery, now, that in turn she fails to notice Carys, because Inigo's guesswork has attracted her. "That's right, I'll bet the girl didn't even get to choose who she could be with, otherwise of course she'd've come with him, in love the way he was! Poor thing probably had her a marriage arranged by family, but it was this fella," she points back at the letter she's trying to shove on Kiah, "she really felt for."
And there goes the letter, so T'rev just contents himself with eating the rest of his pie, listening to the exchange of opinions. His eyes twinkle now and then while he bites and chews his way through the pie, but he doesn't make any smart remarks. Carys' voice turns him about a little and he smiles at her sunnily, albeit close-mouthed and waves. "Mmppph," he says. Pie in mouth.
Kiah takes the letter with a brief hesitant movement and sits down in a spot next to her tray. Someone comes up behind her to steal a tart and she turns to look at him briefly before turning back to the letter. "Oh. Oh. That's so sad. Thwarted love." She reads through it, line by line, then obviously goes back up to the top and reads it again. "Maybe she was the rider, and he was a crafter and they had a love affair, but they couldn't get married because she impressed." A pause and then another hesitant offer of thought. "They could have been engaged before that."
Carys tries to find an open spot next to or near T'rev, and grins at him. "Good pie?" she asks. Then she flicks her gaze over to Kiah and Rhodya each, looking them over with interest. "What's this about love letters? And why're you grabbin' things?" She tries not to sound rude, but she's definitely being nosey.
Inigo kindly takes the letter back. Feeling the crowd swarming around, he suddenly gets very protective of his special box. The letter is gingerly refolded and placed back in it's spot. Lid closed, latch secured. "I think maybe this is too personal. Probably isn't right to have a bunch of people digging through someone's private things. Maybe I should just bury it outside somewhere." Or not. With that vague statement, he stands up to leave the crowd. "Thank you for your help, sorry so abrupt, but I'm not feeling well." Crowds. With that he's off.
"Very good," T'rev answers promptly once his mouth is clear and he breaks off a little piece to share with his clutchmate. "M'good, by the by, n' you?" His gaze flicks back towards departing Inigo and he gives the man a little wave. "Good luck with that, come find me if you need any help with any history stuff," he calls after. "That fella found a box in one of the guest weyrs with love letters n' stuff in it. Now we're all wonderin' what the story really is behind it all."
Kiah blinks several times at her empty hands, looking surprised. The letter was there a minute ago. A brief dirty look is short at Inigo's back before she takes a deep breath and her expression clears. "Does anyone want something different? I could, um, make it for tomorrow."
Rhodya startles at the sound of another voice, twisting around until she spots Carys. She grins, not abashed in the slightest by her grabbiness with this particular. "Well, seein' as it don't belong to anybody, I'm just passing it around." She pauses, though, to watch Inigo reclaim the letter. His concern about the mysterious lover's privacy clearly doesn't reach to her, for the leatherworker merely shrugs at the idea that they've crossed some personal boundary and goes back to gossiping about it. "You can't get searched if you're engaged. Least, so I was told," she mutters. More brightly, "But maybe he just wanted to get married, and even though they hadn't agreed on anything yet it just broke his heart when she got Searched and became a rider.
Carys welcomes the offered pie, and holds her plate forward for it. "Ooh, thanks! I'm excited to taste it." She listens to his explanation about the box and letter as she watches Inigo leave. "/Really/? If I'm not around when you guys figure it out, fill me in later. I love a good mystery!" She eats the bit of pie and closes her eyes with a smile. "Mmm, that's good! You're uh...you're not going to finish it, right?" The rider smiles over at Rhodya when she makes an excuse for grabbing, and then ponders her theory. "That could be. Makes sense to me, anyway."
"M'good, thanks," T'rev tells Kiah with another one of those smiles of his. "Lemon's a favorite o' mine," he confides and looks over at the other two. "Mm, supposed t'be free of entanglements t'be Searched," the bronzerider says thoughtfully. "Don't mean that someone might not've tried to sneak off anyhow," he continues then he points between Rhodya and Carys. "Don't think y'all know each other. Rhodya, this is Carys, blue Llioth's, he and Mecaith hatched together. Carys, this here's Rhodya, leatherworker and poker player extraordinaire and a baker on the side."
Kiah goes a bright red as she's singled out by Carys. "I'm an Apprentice Baker posted here, bluerider." She did hear the introduction. "Name's Kiah. Do you want a different kind of pie?" She asks Carys and then holds up a plate with a variety of berry pies. Another glance at the tray and she frowns slightly, almost never looking up to look at people's faces. "Um, I might have more lemon in the kitchen, but there aren't any left here."
Carys gives a little smile to Rhodya once more and nods. "Nice t'meet ya. Leatherworker, poker player, /and/ a baker? You're busy. We'll have to do poker sometime. T'rev used to tease me when we played, but I think I've gotten better." She looks over at Kiah again and says, "Oh, nice t'meet you too. You don't have to call me bluerider, you can call me Rys." Then she gapes at the pie plate and grins. "Ooh, berry! Thanks, er...Kiah? Yeah, Kiah." She helps herself to a couple of pieces and digs in. With her mouth partly full she adds, "You oughtta be a journeyman baker now. This is /good/."
Grinning broadly, Rhodya tips an imaginary hat as her accomplishments are listed. "I try to keep busy," she says modestly. "Kiah here's the real baker, though - and by the way, this bread is just delicious." She snuck a few bites in while T'rev was handing out introductions. She's been standing this whole time, but now she flops into a seat and looks up at Kiah, wondering with a raised eyebrow if she'll do the same. "No need to go anywhere, Kiah, everybody's well-fed and gettin' friendly, you done your duty. Have a sit if you can get away with it." She winks, then takes another bite of bread.
Catching Kiah's introduction of herself, T'rev beams. "Kiah. Nice name and if you've got more lemon pie, I sure wouldn't say no," he says good-naturedly. "T'rev, bronze Mecaith's," he tacks on his own name and laughs at Carys' remarks about poker. "Yeaaah, we should have a game sometime. See if you can win a pot off me, Rys."
Kiah was sitting, she sat to read the letter so she gives Rhodya a smile and then shakes her head slightly. "I can sit for a minute, unless the Bronzerider wants me to check for more lemon pies." She smiles a bit more at Rhodya at the compliment and Carys comments on the pie make her even glow a little. That triggers another blush and then she jumps to her feet again. Bronzerider wants pie. Bronzeriders usually get what they want, she's noticed in the short time she's been here. She turns to walk to the kitchen to get them and nearly runs into one of the residents. She stops, stands there until the way clears /completely/, endless patience until things are they way she wants them and then she walks sedately to the kitchen, weaving back and forth so that no one touches her.
Even though she's smiling, she glares at her clutchmate. "I /know/ I can win a pot off you! Bring it, T." Kiah's brief exit is watched with a curious expression, and then her attention is back to the other two at the table. "Ok, so you two oughtta snag me next time you're free. I'm tellin' ya, I've got a great poker face, now! And I'm a good liar!" This is debatable.
Rhodya leans her cheek into an up-raised palm, her expression bemused as Kiah hurries away to serve T'rev. "I'd keep her around if I were you, T'rev," she remarks with a chuckle, turning back to the two still at the table. "Takes your order straightaway, and she bakes like a dream." Rhodya's grin turns impish, and it only gets broader when Rys challenges the two card sharps to a poker match. "Heck yeah, I always like playing cards with new people. Makes a game more social, and anyway, T'rev's got to get himself whupped once in a while to keep him humble." She winks at him.
T'rev grins widely at Carys. "You gonna put real marks behind that?" he teases her then opens his mouth to let Kiah know that staying put would be just fine, only she's hopping up and just going. Which leaves T'rev blinking a little. "Ki--" he starts but she's already well away and looks over at Rhodya, shakes his head a little. "Won't complain 'bout good pie, but we'll have to have a wee chat 'bout the whole servin' bit."
Carys looks at Rhodya with doubt. "T'rev can be kept humble? Where've I been?" The remarks about Kiah make the rider smirk, and she glances up at T'rev with a wicked gleam in her eye. "Yeah, T, what more could you possibly want?" The poker question gets a nod and a frown. "Well /yeah/, whaddya think I'm just sayin' stuff?"
Kiah comes back in from the kitchen with a large plate covered in pies. She eventually returns to the table, setting the plate in front of T'rev. "Some lemon," she says softly. "But also some with sweet cream. I didn't make them, my cousin did, but they're fresh and still warm from the ovens." She moves over to sit next to Rhodya, not used to talking to riders. They obviously intimidate her.
Rhodya cheerfully makes room for Kiah, scooting aside to make room for her even as she starts reaching for one of those pies. Mmm, pie. "Rys," she says, shaking her head, "every time you call him T I start lookin' around for my ex-boyfriend. Used to be what I called /him/." She smiles, though, and points a finger at T'rev. "Far as I'm concerned, you're gonna be T'rev to your dying day. And sure, you can be kept humble, right? If he weren't too much of a man to blush, he might've done it when Kiah got up to fetch him pies." She's in a fine mood today, that's for sure. Who wouldn't be, with delicious pie and bread to follow up an exciting love-letter mystery?
One of T'rev's hands presses to his chest in mock affront. "When'm I not humble, Carys?" he says, all wide-eyed and innocent. "But all right, you got it. Real marks, harper rules?" He's about to go on when Kiah gets back with the pies and he looks down at the plate for a moment, then looks up at the baker and says very sincerely: "/Thank you/, Kiah. That was very kind of you. Didn't have to do that, but I'll be sure t'appreciate the effort and share with everyone. You should have some too." So saying, once Rhodya has served herself, he picks up the plate and offers it around to the others too and waits to sneak another pie for himself until after they have or have refused. Rhodya's commentary earns a sidelong look and the faintest hint of a wry smile. "Used t'be Trevan. So. Trev's just fine. Wouldn't want to be confused with the damn fool that let you go," he tells her with a wink.
Kiah curls her hands in her lap and nods mutely at the thanks. "Nah, I snuck one in the kitchen. The cream ones are my favorite. He found out, so he made them for me." She was sharing her own private stash perhaps. "You guys want anything else? I'm 'bout to go on shift in the kitchen, so tell me now or I'll be too busy." Her eyes lift briefly to look at her tablemates and then she looks back down at her hands curled in her lap.
Carys snickers at Rhodya's response to "T", and shrugs. "Well sorry. I'll call him T-rev instead." She gives the bronzer a nod at 'harper rules' and then glances up at Kiah when she comes back. "/More/ pie? I'm gonna die, I can't stop eating it!" One of the sweet cream ones is taken, and she samples it with a smiley face. "Yer cousin's good, too, but I like yours better. You should make this kind for tomorrow so I can compare."
"No, you wouldn't," Rhodya informs T'rev briskly (but still cheerfully), looking down at the slice of (cream) pie she's chosen. Cutting off the tip of it, she balances it on her fork for a moment more to look around at Kiah with a smile. "Nah, that's all right. Like Rys was sayin', we've got enough to stuff ourselves and then some." She pops the pie into her mouth and mms. "And it /is/ good, though I don't even know who your cousin is in there. Tell him it's a hit, anyway."
"No thank you, Kiah. I think we're all set, good stuff here," T'rev says with a gesture to what's left on the plate as he sets it down, claims his second lemon and sets to nibbling. "And it sounds like we got a plan for cards. Might need a fourth though. Hm." He ponders for a moment while eating more pie, looks over at Rhodya briefly, then nods back over at Kiah. if you're headin' back to work, have a good shift."
Kiah smiles at the delight in the pies and then she nods at Carys' suggestion. "Oh, I will, but they're a bit harder. You may certainly compare them." Then she nods to everyone at the table respectfully, even Rhodya and rises. "I've got the breads to bake for the early morning wings coming off patrol." And then she returns to the kitchen in what seems to be her usual manner, slow, studied, carefully, planned.
Rhodya catches that look, and immediately starts shaking her head. "Nuh-uh, you ain't inviting my Papa to play. I've told you he ain't good at it, and I don't want to spend the whole time he's here trying to win his marks back." She looks up at Kiah's parting words, a bright smile ready to answer the respectful nod that's sent her way. "Bye, Kiah!" she calls after her.
More pie eatin' the odd remark traded and T'rev waves as Carys slips away, nods when Kiah departs, politely. Rhodya's claim draws out a laugh. "You're assumin' that's who I was thinkin' of. Besides, can always just switch to tokens," the bronzerider points out, though Carys'd tan my hide. Once she gets an idea, she don't let go, that girl." T'rev leans back in his chair, eyes a bit of lingering cream filling on his thumb, licks it off. "Anyone you particularly feel like tryin' to win a few off of?"
Rhodya sends a wave after Carys, too, then returns to eye T'rev thoughtfully. Eventually, she starts to grin. "How 'bout Winston? Or Phara, since I haven't yet run across her in a match. I think I can give poor F'sen a break and leave him out of this one," she remarks, nodding somberly as if it were most generous of her, giving up an opportunity to torment her favorite bluerider. "Even Rev, seems like he could use some time out from bein' a sort-of egg Papa. Heck, when it comes down to it I'd like to win a few off everybody." Her grin gets toothy - silly.
"Either, sure. Winston to even boys n' girls, Phara though, she's a dab hand at it and she n' Carys're good friends, or were last I knew," T'rev notes and settles his eyes on Rhodya's face again. That grin makes him laugh and he nods. "Yeah. Be good to get Rev out and about and doin' something that ain't thinkin' about the Weyr and ... whatever else he's got on his mind."
"Well, I leave the recruitin' up to you," Rhodya says, with a playful and improperly executed salute. She leans forward, planting both arms on the table in front of her and then resting her chin on them. She peers up at T'rev. "Hey, how much time've you got before I lose you to more interestin' things?"
T'rev's head tips to the side and he smiles. "All right. I'll see 'bout both of 'em," the bronzerider agrees readily, turns a palm upwar and gestures expansively. "S'much as you want tonight. Whatcha got in mind? I've been thinkin' about some fresh air myself. Check on Mecaith, he's restless."
As readily as she planted herself down on the table, Rhodya pops back up with a smile. "Then let's entertain him, and I got a question for you along the way." She stands up, but pauses a few moments to collect everyone's empty plate so she can leave it on a dirty-dishes table on the way out. What remains of the pies, though, she leaves for the next lucky sitter. "'Cause you like history, don't ya? Diggin' around in records and stuff."
T'rev stands and picks up his jacket. "Sure, if you're up for it we can even go flyin'," he answers and bobs his head once. "Yep. Sure do. Got a taste for it when i was doin' catchup lessons as a weyrling at Telgar. How come?" As he ambles at an easy pace through the crowd, mindful of not losing step with his companion.
"'Cause my Papa got on my case," Rhodya answers with a laugh, falling in alongside the bronzerider. Well, aside from the part where she ducks out to set those plates down; then they're off to the long-legged races. "See, the reason I picked Fort to come to was my mother having Impressed here, and I figured I might be able to find out more about her from records or whatnot. 'Course like I told you, I ain't much of a reader, and the thought of digging through those things makes my eyes go crossed. If you could point me in the direction of any hides you think'd be useful, though, I'd much appreciate it." As they get to the exit leading to the bowl, Rhodya tugs the jacket she's wearing (it's leather, and looks new) closed and snaps it up.
"Oh, gotcha. Yeah, I can point you in the right direction. Do you one better even," T'rev offers as he tugs his scarf a little tighter and crosses over into fresh outdoor air. "I can find you the right volumes and bring 'em out to where you'd rather read, even. There's some comfortable enough chairs in the Records Room though, honest." Off in the distance, Mecaith is waiting, eyes fixed on the pair, paws shifting in the light dusting of snow on the ground.
Rhodya starts to walk funny - a low, slinging sort of stride - but the snow's so thin it may take a second for it to register that what she's doing is scuffing it up as she goes. "That'd be right nice of you. I don't know, you think the records staff'd have a fit if I poked through hides while I was workin' leather? Just the brainless stuff, you know, that I usually just daydream while doing." She peers across the bowl at the shape she /thinks/ is Mecaith, and gives the bronze a hearty wave. If it's the wrong dragon, she just made a new friend.
That funny walk earns a look and then a double-take before T'rev laughs again. "Don't like it lyin' smooth with your footprints in?" the bronzerider asks as they walk along and he tips his head up to look at the stars coming out in the newly dark sky. "Depends. If it's delicate stuff, don't want to be bringing anything sharp-edged on over, y'know? But softening somethin' up, that wouldn't be too big a deal." His gaze crosses over towards Mecaith a frown faintly denting his brows as the bronze pushes up to his feet and comes over to meet them. It's not T'rev though that he ducks his head towards, but Rhodya, neck curving downwards gracefully. "Huh ..." is what T'rev says next, mouth pulled faintly to the side.
"Ain't you sweet," Rhodya says to Mecaith when he comes up to greet her, her smile widening at the sight of that sort-of bow. To T'rev, she continues, "Oh, sure, nothing that'd risk doin' damage it. I mean, I've got respect for leather, so if it's anything on a hide it's perfectly safe with me. I just didn't know how uptight the records folk'd be, if it came back to them I was sitting their precious things down next to awls and scrapers and stuff." Now that Mecaith's walked over to them, she stops scuffing the snow and starts writing in it, sticking her toe out in front of T'rev to scrape a little 'Hi' at him.
T'rev's scratching at the back of his neck and rolling his shoulders, looking almost like he's just had snow dropped down his collar, only there's none in sight. Mecaith's muzzle drops, nudging gently at Rhodya's shoulder right before he gets fascinated by her snow writing. His rider smiles, oddly silent for the span of a few seconds, then extends a foot and traces lines of his own in the snow. First a 'Hi' back. Then right below that something a little longer. 'Wanna Stand?'. And he looks up at the leatherworker expectantly tilts his head towards Mecaith. "He's askin'."
Rhodya starts off watching T'rev scratch in that longer message, but it takes so long that she decides to spend her attention on Mecaith instead, since she's apparently got his. Her hand tries here and there on his muzzle, searching for a place he likes to be scratched, before the lack of scrape-sounds tells her T'rev is done and she glances down. "What?" she asks, disbelieving, and lets out a laugh. "Oh, don't you kid, the eggs ain't hardly in existence yet. What's he /really/ said?" She turns back to Mecaith with a playfully expectant grin, as though he could just open his mouth and tell her straight.
Nudging again, very lightly, Mecaith's head turns so Rhodya's hands can find his /favorite/ spot for such attention. /There/. "Ain't kiddin'," T'rev says quite seriously, hands tucking into pockets. "He wants you to Stand for 'em when they get hard enough. Don't have t'say yes or no right now though. Think about if y'like. Good thing about now: ain't no Thread. But it's still a big ole switch." Beat. "Bein' a rider." He takes a breath, lets it out and looks back up at the stars, idly scratches out another word in the snow, grin lopsided as he does. 'Please?'.
Rhodya's smile slips a little when she looks back this time: apparently, it has just reached her that yeah, T'rev sounds serious on this one. And so does Mecaith. Her hand goes automatically to the spot he's nudged her to, because scratching it gives her something to do while she looks around for that bus that just hit her. After a long moment, she finds her voice. "It's just - well, I ain't ever - hmph." Mecaith will have to make do with only a brief spate of scratching, because Rhodya draws herself together and crosses her arms, staring down at that message in the snow. "You know," she says at last, defiant, "I think I do. Wanna Stand." When she looks up to meet T'rev's eye, there's still a glimmer of hard determination left in her expression. Then it dissolves into a giant grin.
That makes for a happy Mecaith if only briefly though he straightens back up with placid grace and settles down in a neat curl, tail flipping back and forth just a little. T'rev just keeps looking at her sidelong, that same grin on his face while he waits for her to work it through. Her answer brings back one of his wider, brighter smiles. "All right then. Whoo! Candidate Rhodya. How's the sound of that, huh?" And he takes a half-step towards her, apparently intending to offer a hug. Or even a little spin around.
"Weird as heck," says Rhodya, stepping into that hug. If he didn't intend for a spin around, he's forced into it, because after the hug Rhodya keeps hold of his hand and twirls herself. "'Course you realize this means I can't go flyin' anymore. I've gotta tell my Papa, maybe make fun of him for missin' it." She's practically giddy now - maybe the spin helped her to it, since she did come out of it with a little wobble. "Hey, you think we could stage it again for him? But, nah, I'd only give it up bein' excited. 'Sides I don't want to." It's possible that she's not really listening to what she's saying, just letting her mouth run off while her brain kicks around this whole 'candidate' idea.
"Nah, I'm a rider, silly, you can still go flyin'," T'rev says, laughing as she goes for the spin and he tugs on her hand lightly to bring her a few steps back towards him. Hey, dancing in the snow. "Just can't go as far when it gets later on," the bronzerider nods with a cheeky grin. "And the weird'll pass after a bit. Leastways, hope it will. Did for me after a bit." He does another little dance step, makes to spin her again, still grinning. "So you'll be needin' to shift your gear over to the barracks 'stead of the dorms, but you don't gotta do that 'til tomorrow sometime. I'll let Shevena know you been Searched n' all, but it can wait 'til mornin'. Reminds me though, wanna get a drink while you still can?" Teasing there.
Rhodya comes back obediently back at that tug, beaming as she's sent into another spin. She's steady coming out of it this time, which is good, because if she was still light-headed she'd get drunk too fast. "I just meant I can't go flying /now/, 'cause I've got to tell my Papa right away. And what about Mecaith here, ain't he still restless?" As their dance steps take them by the bronze, she reaches out to brush his muzzle again. "I'll thank you proper in a second," she promises him, before circling away again. "Tell you what. If you wanna run get some drinks, I'll go tell the old man, and we can meet up back out here to get toasty with Mecaith."
"Ahhh, gotcha, and good point. Yeah. Should definitely go tell your old man." T'rev smiles still then shakes his head. "Mecaith was restless because he wanted me t'ask you and for you t'say yes. So. He's back to bein' pretty calm. Just pleased now too." He winks at her in the dark then frees a hand to salute. "You got it. Meet you back here in few." There's one last spin offered and then T'rev sketches a brief bow, before turning to head inward towards the bar for a couple of mugs of something warm with some kick. Hot buttered rum for instance. To celebrate and get toasty with all in one go.